L. 7.1 Conventions of Standard English Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.7.6 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
In anticipation of reading Life as We Knew It, students will write a postcard to a relative or loved one of their choice who does not live near them. The hook, however, is that students will write to them after a serious natural disaster has just occurred. Electricity is sporadic and unreliable, disease is on the rise, and people are losing sight of their morals and values. The students are invited to explore this concepts of natural disaster and in this experience brainstorm the potential crises as they write to a loved one. The purpose of this activity is to activate prior knowledge and build anticipation for beginning reading of Life as We Knew It. The postcards can be sent electronically or printed.
Assessment: In order to assess that students' prior knowledges are being activated, I would use a semantic map on the Smartboard in order for them to visualize all of the potential problems brought on by serious natural disasters. I would assess students' participation in this brainstorming phase and then walk around the computer lab as they created their postcards. This activity allows me to analyze their experience with basic business writing (i.e. writing a letter) as well as their creative abilities. Since the book Life as We Knew It deals with heavier subject matter than my students may have dealt with in literature in the past, I want to encourage them to think in the serious terms of survival, urgency, and the unknown. Additionally, I can gauge students' abilities to use appropriate, topic-relevant vocabulary (i.e. chaotic, hopeless, urgent, optimistic, pessimistic, etc.) and know how to better help them acquire such vocabulary as we read Life as We Knew It.
Activity 2. A. Crossword Puzzle (Vocabulary/Phonics)
L.7.4 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.7.6 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
This anticipatory activity whets students' appetites in terms of exposing them to the vocabulary with which they will become very familiar over the next few weeks. This vocabulary is topic-specific and relates both to the external and internal conflicts related to natural disaster. In engaging in this digital crossword puzzle, students can practice utilizing the Internet to gain information, or in this case, to obtain the proper definition of a word. Also, students will speculate as to the content of Life as We Knew It because of the peculiarity and variety found in the vocabulary words. While phonics is not taught in the middle school grades, many students still struggle with phonemic awareness. I would utilize this opportunity to assess my students' phonemic awarenesses and work with them to build knowledge in morphemes and phonemes as they encounter unfamiliar words with unfamiliar roots.
Assessment: Since this crossword puzzle is shorter, I would use this to launch into a vocabulary lesson about context and utilizing clues within the text In order to assess that students' prior knowledges are being activated, I will informally check their work as I move around the room. Also, seeing their completed work will be beneficial. In addition to analyzing their written work, I could ask questions to probe them. Something like, "have you ever seen or heard this word before? When/where?" Probing about the roots within the words will help them activate prior knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Also, I could ask my class to predict what they think the book is about based on the vocabulary selected for the initial lesson. All of these activities within this anticipatory set will allow me to asses students' prior knowledge of vocabulary, gauge their rate/ability to acquire new words, and assess their ability to link words with an appropriate context. An added bonus to this lesson is that students will build web literacy and learn to better discern between quality websites and those lacking in content and clout.
Activity 3. A. Voicethread Response (Comprehension/Fluency)
S.L. 7.1 Comprehension and Collaboration Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
R.L. 7.3 Key Ideas and Details Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
This anticipatory set calls students to make predictions about the story based on the front cover. Then, I read the final few lines of the story to students and ask them to make predictions based on that new found information. Not only are students required to make predictions and inferences based upon the art on the front cover and then the quote, they will have to acquire basic skills in technology in order to complete this task. Also, they will have to communicate clearly the points they raise. This will require them to write down and/or read fluently as they respond.
Assessment: I will assess my students' abilities to draw inferences based on what they see. The most obvious check for understanding relates to the moon being so large on the front cover. This should make students wonder why it hangs so low. Also, the house on the front cover is isolated and buried in snow, making for a rather desolate-looking situation. By listening to students' responses, I will listen for how they justify their predictions and how they communicate. Essentially, this is a one-on-one discussion at first, but then can become more involved as students comment on each other's posts, which is another check for understanding. Students should listen to each other's work and respond. This will let me observe how they interact and how that can help them better understand what is happening on the cover. One student might not realize that snow is covering everything until another student shows him.
Building Comprehension
Activity 1. B. Persuasion Map (Comprehension/ Fluency/Vocabulary)
R.L. 7.1 Key Ideas and Details Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
S.L. 7.1 Comprehension and Collaboration Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
This is an example of what I would have seventh graders complete in order to practice persuasive writing. In this lesson, students build writing skills while also building comprehension as they dig into the text in order to find supporting evidence for their claims. Not only does this activity require students to organize their arguments, students need to have good comprehension of the material and be able to communicate it well, which aids their fluency development.
Assessment: In order to assess students on this project, I will informally assess them throughout the creation of this persuasion map. I will model for them how to brainstorm a topic, since selecting a topic they can support might be difficult. Selecting a topic will require them to form some sort of opinion about the book, so this process will be crucial for me to guide and assess. I will check for understanding along the way by checking in with each child during class time at their individual computer in the lab. Also, each student will read his or her persuasive argument to the class. This is when I will check for fluency. The students will have had time to obtain good comprehension of the text as they worked "silently" or independently on it; now they will articulate their opinions by reading to the class. At this point, the goal is effective, fluid reading.
R.L. 7.3 Key Ideas and Details Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot). R.L. 7.6 Craft and Structure Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Students would be able to create a Biocube as they begin reading Life as We Knew It. Not only will this tool help students organize important facts about characters based on the exposition, students can update or create new Biocubes if they see a difference, change, or clearer information about a character. This activity requires students to have read the text and comprehended it, while also enabling them to revisit the text for greater understanding of characters and their motives as the story progresses.
Assessment: I would assess students' comprehension of characters in relation to setting, plot, other characters, etc. by watching how their Biocubes have changed. Students can save them and watch each character's complexity grow and become specific in certain areas. Additionally, I would ask students to revisit their Biocubes with a highlighter and find common themes throughout the character's development. This would assess the students' abilities to link together what they read each day and have an overall understanding of the plot line based on the characters, all the while knowing specific details that have shaped characters.
Activity 3. B Drama Mapping (Comprehension/Vocabulary/Fluency)
R.L. 7.1 Key Ideas and Details Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. R.L. 7.2 Key Ideas and Details Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
This comprehension activity provides students with a digital means of organizing information. Mapping out the key elements of this text requires them to organize it and draw inferences and/or conclusions from it. Also, they will need to grow familiar with all aspects of the plot diagram at some point in order to comprehend the text. This model builds upon knowledge of the characters and setting, as well as the initial and unfolding conflicts throughout the rising action. If students organize their information like this, they will be able to make educated guesses about what they think the turning point of the story will be and how it will unfold; such organization allows them to make these claims and support them with evidence.
Assessment: This tool itself will aid me greatly in assessment. I will be able to check students' work to see if they grasp the key elements of the text. In order to assess in different ways, I can have students fill out this organizer in a group setting so they would have to make a claim for what they believe to be important information. I would assess that informally by moving around the room to monitor student involvement. In order to assess the process of discerning the information, defending it in a group setting, and then applying it to the organizer, I would ask students to present their organizers to the class. This enables them to work on vocabulary use as well as fluency while they give evidence of their comprehension of the text.
R.L. 7.6 Craft and Structure Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text. R.L. 7.5 Craft and Structure Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
In order to consolidate the information they learned in reading this book, I want students to identify a conflict other than the primary external conflict of the meteor striking the moon. Once they identify their conflict, they will show how this conflict progressed throughout the story, creating an ongoing stressor on the characters without necessarily coming to the forefront of the action. The example I used illustrates that ongoing battle Miranda has with her mother. This is definitely apparent throughout the book, yet does not come to fruition until the middle or even end of the book. The purpose of this activity is to show readers, in retrospect, how some subtle conflicts are actually quite crucial in developing the plot of the story.
Assessment: I will model for students how to select a conflict. Much of the conflict selection will be rooted in an opinion the reader has of one of the characters. For example, "Miranda is selfish." This leads right into her constant altercations with her mom. This tool itself will be helpful for me to assess whether or not students understand the concept of conflict and if they can apply it to what they have read. Additionally, this tool will show me whether or not students can see the conflict progress; this will be apparent in the detail of their descriptions. This chart serves as a good model for this particular book since there is arguably no closure. The circular shape implies that this process will continue until life ceases to exist.
Activity 2. C. Digitally Designing a CD Cover (Comprehension/Vocabulary)
R.L. 7.2 Key Ideas and Details Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
R.L. 7.5 Craft and Structure Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning. R.L. 7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
This activity requires students to reflect upon what they have read and then articulate themes and events, as well as character points of view in relation to exposition. Students will need to design a cover for a CD or DVD, paying close attention to the reasoning for each of their creative endeavors on this project. Obviously, the titles and band name will give evidence of comprehension, but students are also free to express their comprehension artistically. For example, I selected a dark blue background to convey a dreary tone and then scribbled an edgy-looking design on the cover in order to convey some sort of manageable chaos. The fact that this book is written as a journal will be apparent in this project as the story takes on a pensive, reflective, and honest viewpoint.
Assessment: I will assess comprehension of the text as a whole as students select the band's name, song titles, and begin designing a cover. This will show me what students interpreted as the most significant portions of Life as We Knew It after they finish reading it. I will assess their vocabulary use to see if they use relevant words, such as chaos, catastrophe, disaster, etc. Also, since this book is Miranda's journal, students will have an insight to her innermost thoughts. Creating a CD Cover is perfect to check that students can articulate Miranda's frustrations and hopes. What is cool about this project is that many students connect with music and art to express themselves. They get to express Miranda's journey through a CD and obtain some sort of closure for her.
Activity 3. C. Creating a Movie Preview with Goanimate.com (Comprehension/Vocabulary/Fluency)
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun! R.L.7.2 Key Ideas and Details Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
R.L. 7.2 Key Ideas and Details Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
This activity allows students to reflect on the story as they select what were the key features of the text. They then get to apply the key features in a brief, yet effective way in order to highlight the action of the story, as they would see in a movie preview.
Assessment: I will look for consistency with the exposition, as well as with the rising action and climax. Students will need to have a good grasp of the characters as well as the main conflicts in order to properly create this movie preview.
Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer
Lesson Activities by Vanessa Zellmer
Concordia University Wisconsin Spring 2011
Anticipatory Activities
Activity 1. A. Create a Postcard (Comprehension/Vocabulary)
L. 7.1 Conventions of Standard English
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
L.7.6 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
In anticipation of reading Life as We Knew It, students will write a postcard to a relative or loved one of their choice who does not live near them. The hook, however, is that students will write to them after a serious natural disaster has just occurred. Electricity is sporadic and unreliable, disease is on the rise, and people are losing sight of their morals and values. The students are invited to explore this concepts of natural disaster and in this experience brainstorm the potential crises as they write to a loved one. The purpose of this activity is to activate prior knowledge and build anticipation for beginning reading of Life as We Knew It. The postcards can be sent electronically or printed.
Assessment: In order to assess that students' prior knowledges are being activated, I would use a semantic map on the Smartboard in order for them to visualize all of the potential problems brought on by serious natural disasters. I would assess students' participation in this brainstorming phase and then walk around the computer lab as they created their postcards. This activity allows me to analyze their experience with basic business writing (i.e. writing a letter) as well as their creative abilities. Since the book Life as We Knew It deals with heavier subject matter than my students may have dealt with in literature in the past, I want to encourage them to think in the serious terms of survival, urgency, and the unknown. Additionally, I can gauge students' abilities to use appropriate, topic-relevant vocabulary (i.e. chaotic, hopeless, urgent, optimistic, pessimistic, etc.) and know how to better help them acquire such vocabulary as we read Life as We Knew It.
Activity 2. A. Crossword Puzzle (Vocabulary/Phonics)
L.7.4 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.7.6 Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
This anticipatory activity whets students' appetites in terms of exposing them to the vocabulary with which they will become very familiar over the next few weeks. This vocabulary is topic-specific and relates both to the external and internal conflicts related to natural disaster. In engaging in this digital crossword puzzle, students can practice utilizing the Internet to gain information, or in this case, to obtain the proper definition of a word. Also, students will speculate as to the content of Life as We Knew It because of the peculiarity and variety found in the vocabulary words. While phonics is not taught in the middle school grades, many students still struggle with phonemic awareness. I would utilize this opportunity to assess my students' phonemic awarenesses and work with them to build knowledge in morphemes and phonemes as they encounter unfamiliar words with unfamiliar roots.
Assessment: Since this crossword puzzle is shorter, I would use this to launch into a vocabulary lesson about context and utilizing clues within the text In order to assess that students' prior knowledges are being activated, I will informally check their work as I move around the room. Also, seeing their completed work will be beneficial. In addition to analyzing their written work, I could ask questions to probe them. Something like, "have you ever seen or heard this word before? When/where?" Probing about the roots within the words will help them activate prior knowledge of roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Also, I could ask my class to predict what they think the book is about based on the vocabulary selected for the initial lesson. All of these activities within this anticipatory set will allow me to asses students' prior knowledge of vocabulary, gauge their rate/ability to acquire new words, and assess their ability to link words with an appropriate context. An added bonus to this lesson is that students will build web literacy and learn to better discern between quality websites and those lacking in content and clout.
Activity 3. A. Voicethread Response (Comprehension/Fluency)
S.L. 7.1 Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
R.L. 7.3 Key Ideas and Details
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
This anticipatory set calls students to make predictions about the story based on the front cover. Then, I read the final few lines of the story to students and ask them to make predictions based on that new found information. Not only are students required to make predictions and inferences based upon the art on the front cover and then the quote, they will have to acquire basic skills in technology in order to complete this task. Also, they will have to communicate clearly the points they raise. This will require them to write down and/or read fluently as they respond.
Assessment: I will assess my students' abilities to draw inferences based on what they see. The most obvious check for understanding relates to the moon being so large on the front cover. This should make students wonder why it hangs so low. Also, the house on the front cover is isolated and buried in snow, making for a rather desolate-looking situation. By listening to students' responses, I will listen for how they justify their predictions and how they communicate. Essentially, this is a one-on-one discussion at first, but then can become more involved as students comment on each other's posts, which is another check for understanding. Students should listen to each other's work and respond. This will let me observe how they interact and how that can help them better understand what is happening on the cover. One student might not realize that snow is covering everything until another student shows him.
Building Comprehension
Activity 1. B. Persuasion Map (Comprehension/ Fluency/Vocabulary)
R.L. 7.1 Key Ideas and Details
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
S.L. 7.1 Comprehension and Collaboration
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
This is an example of what I would have seventh graders complete in order to practice persuasive writing. In this lesson, students build writing skills while also building comprehension as they dig into the text in order to find supporting evidence for their claims. Not only does this activity require students to organize their arguments, students need to have good comprehension of the material and be able to communicate it well, which aids their fluency development.
Assessment: In order to assess students on this project, I will informally assess them throughout the creation of this persuasion map. I will model for them how to brainstorm a topic, since selecting a topic they can support might be difficult. Selecting a topic will require them to form some sort of opinion about the book, so this process will be crucial for me to guide and assess. I will check for understanding along the way by checking in with each child during class time at their individual computer in the lab. Also, each student will read his or her persuasive argument to the class. This is when I will check for fluency. The students will have had time to obtain good comprehension of the text as they worked "silently" or independently on it; now they will articulate their opinions by reading to the class. At this point, the goal is effective, fluid reading.
Activity 2. B. Biocube (Comprehension)
R.L. 7.3 Key Ideas and Details
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
R.L. 7.6 Craft and Structure
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
Students would be able to create a Biocube as they begin reading Life as We Knew It. Not only will this tool help students organize important facts about characters based on the exposition, students can update or create new Biocubes if they see a difference, change, or clearer information about a character. This activity requires students to have read the text and comprehended it, while also enabling them to revisit the text for greater understanding of characters and their motives as the story progresses.
Assessment: I would assess students' comprehension of characters in relation to setting, plot, other characters, etc. by watching how their Biocubes have changed. Students can save them and watch each character's complexity grow and become specific in certain areas. Additionally, I would ask students to revisit their Biocubes with a highlighter and find common themes throughout the character's development. This would assess the students' abilities to link together what they read each day and have an overall understanding of the plot line based on the characters, all the while knowing specific details that have shaped characters.
Activity 3. B Drama Mapping (Comprehension/Vocabulary/Fluency)
R.L. 7.1 Key Ideas and Details
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
R.L. 7.2 Key Ideas and Details
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
This comprehension activity provides students with a digital means of organizing information. Mapping out the key elements of this text requires them to organize it and draw inferences and/or conclusions from it. Also, they will need to grow familiar with all aspects of the plot diagram at some point in order to comprehend the text. This model builds upon knowledge of the characters and setting, as well as the initial and unfolding conflicts throughout the rising action. If students organize their information like this, they will be able to make educated guesses about what they think the turning point of the story will be and how it will unfold; such organization allows them to make these claims and support them with evidence.
Assessment: This tool itself will aid me greatly in assessment. I will be able to check students' work to see if they grasp the key elements of the text. In order to assess in different ways, I can have students fill out this organizer in a group setting so they would have to make a claim for what they believe to be important information. I would assess that informally by moving around the room to monitor student involvement. In order to assess the process of discerning the information, defending it in a group setting, and then applying it to the organizer, I would ask students to present their organizers to the class. This enables them to work on vocabulary use as well as fluency while they give evidence of their comprehension of the text.
Consolidation Activities
Activity 1. C. Circular Diagram (Comprehension)
R.L. 7.6 Craft and Structure
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
R.L. 7.5 Craft and Structure
Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
In order to consolidate the information they learned in reading this book, I want students to identify a conflict other than the primary external conflict of the meteor striking the moon. Once they identify their conflict, they will show how this conflict progressed throughout the story, creating an ongoing stressor on the characters without necessarily coming to the forefront of the action. The example I used illustrates that ongoing battle Miranda has with her mother. This is definitely apparent throughout the book, yet does not come to fruition until the middle or even end of the book. The purpose of this activity is to show readers, in retrospect, how some subtle conflicts are actually quite crucial in developing the plot of the story.
Assessment: I will model for students how to select a conflict. Much of the conflict selection will be rooted in an opinion the reader has of one of the characters. For example, "Miranda is selfish." This leads right into her constant altercations with her mom. This tool itself will be helpful for me to assess whether or not students understand the concept of conflict and if they can apply it to what they have read. Additionally, this tool will show me whether or not students can see the conflict progress; this will be apparent in the detail of their descriptions. This chart serves as a good model for this particular book since there is arguably no closure. The circular shape implies that this process will continue until life ceases to exist.
Activity 2. C. Digitally Designing a CD Cover (Comprehension/Vocabulary)
R.L. 7.2 Key Ideas and Details
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
R.L. 7.5 Craft and Structure
Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
R.L. 7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
This activity requires students to reflect upon what they have read and then articulate themes and events, as well as character points of view in relation to exposition. Students will need to design a cover for a CD or DVD, paying close attention to the reasoning for each of their creative endeavors on this project. Obviously, the titles and band name will give evidence of comprehension, but students are also free to express their comprehension artistically. For example, I selected a dark blue background to convey a dreary tone and then scribbled an edgy-looking design on the cover in order to convey some sort of manageable chaos. The fact that this book is written as a journal will be apparent in this project as the story takes on a pensive, reflective, and honest viewpoint.
Assessment: I will assess comprehension of the text as a whole as students select the band's name, song titles, and begin designing a cover. This will show me what students interpreted as the most significant portions of Life as We Knew It after they finish reading it. I will assess their vocabulary use to see if they use relevant words, such as chaos, catastrophe, disaster, etc. Also, since this book is Miranda's journal, students will have an insight to her innermost thoughts. Creating a CD Cover is perfect to check that students can articulate Miranda's frustrations and hopes. What is cool about this project is that many students connect with music and art to express themselves. They get to express Miranda's journey through a CD and obtain some sort of closure for her.
Activity 3. C. Creating a Movie Preview with Goanimate.com (Comprehension/Vocabulary/Fluency)
GoAnimate.com: Life as We Knew It Movie Preview by VanessaZellmer
Like it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun!
R.L.7.2 Key Ideas and Details
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
R.L. 7.2 Key Ideas and Details
Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
This activity allows students to reflect on the story as they select what were the key features of the text. They then get to apply the key features in a brief, yet effective way in order to highlight the action of the story, as they would see in a movie preview.
Assessment: I will look for consistency with the exposition, as well as with the rising action and climax. Students will need to have a good grasp of the characters as well as the main conflicts in order to properly create this movie preview.